Ed Murray/The Star-LedgerIBEW Local 827 strikers picket outside a Verizon location on Halsey St. in Newark this morning. It was just one of many Verizon sites in several states that have seen protests.

Thousands of New Jersey employees of Verizon Communications Inc. were among 45,000 who went on strike this morning after unions representing the workers failed to reach an agreement with the telecommunications giant on a new labor contract

Verizon said that negotiations in Philadelphia and New York with the Communications Workers of America fell apart.

The previous contract, which expired at midnight, covered 45,000 workers, including 10,000 represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Most of the 7,000 affected workers in New Jersey are covered by the IBEW, according to Evan Stavisky, a spokesman for the CWA.

The workers, who cover an area from Massachusetts to Virginia, are mainly employed as repair technicians, customer service representatives and operators.

Communication Workers of America, the union representing the majority of the workers, had said negotiations had been at a stalemate earlier in the day. The CWA said Verizon was seeking more than 100 concessions from the workers, which spokeswoman Candice Johnson said would “strip away 50 years of contract gains.”

“CWA and IBEW members are prepared to return to work when management demonstrates the willingness to begin bargaining seriously for a fair agreement,” Johnson said. “If not, CWA and IBEW members and allies will continue the fight.”

But Verizon said its wireline business has been in decline for more than a decade, and that it is asking for changes in the contract to strengthen the unit. The company said union employees contribute nothing to their health care premiums.

Verizon said it didn’t expect any interruption in its services.

“Tens of thousands of Verizon managers and other personnel have been trained to step in and perform emergency work assignments,” Verizon spokesman Rich Young said.